The Man Who Preached to the Birds
It’s not hard to understand why Francis of Assisi is every animal lover’s favorite saint. He preached to the birds. He calmed the wolf that was menacing the little Italian town of Gubbio. (Or so the story goes.) He would stop and pick up worms on the road out of concern that they would be crushed.
Once, one of his followers brought him a hare caught in a trap, assuming it would provide welcome sustenance for the humble group. Francis simply picked up the rabbit, stroked it and put it down to hop along on its way. But the animal refused to abandon Francis’s side. It
